Environment

Collab Lab 72: K-12 Partnerships for Conservation and Restoration Part I

Collab Lab 72: K-12 Partnerships for Conservation and Restoration Part I

Season 10/Collab Lab 72

What’s possible when we engage K-12 students directly in conservation and restoration efforts?

The Society for Conservation Biology North America (SCBNA), in collaboration with the Midwest-Great Lakes Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER-MGL) will co-host the North American Congress for Conservation & Restoration in Milwaukee this summer. (You can thank Collab Lab regular and Director of Operations & Programs for SCBNA Bernie Traversari for that.) In our December Collab Lab we’ll explore opportunities for K-12 students and teachers to engage directly in conservation and restoration efforts, how that work might be shared at the Congress, and how the presence of the Congress in Milwaukee might be leveraged to create new or expanded opportunities.

As always, you’ll be joined by peers and collaborators from K-12 higher education, industry, and the nonprofit community. If you work with or know of a student who would like to join the discussion, please extend the invitation.

Agenda

5:30 to 6:00 pm Grab something to eat and meet someone new

6:00 to 6:20 pm Welcome and introductions

6:20 to 8:15 pm Let’s explore some possibilities

8:15 to 8:30 pm Wrap up and next steps

Featured Participants

Bernie Traversari — Director of Operations and Programs, Society for Conservation Biology North America & STEM Education Consultant

Bernie’s background includes research in developmental ecology and amphibian conservation and positions in nonprofit leadership, community outreach, and science education. Before joining SCBNA, Bernie served as the Director of Science Outreach at Edgewood College in Madison, WI, where he led the development and implementation of community-based science education programs for underrepresented communities across the state. He is also Board Vice President of the Urban Learning Collaborative, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit aimed at training the next generation of K-12 educators. Bernie is passionate about connecting scientists with community leaders, grassroots organizations, and students of all ages through his role at SCBNA, all in an effort to protect our natural world. Bernie received a B.S. in Biology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, and an M.S. in Biology from Washington State University. Born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, he now lives and works in Milwaukee, WI with his wife and their cat.

Liz Sutton — Outreach Manager, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences

The School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the largest water focused academic research institute on the Great Lakes and the only North American school of higher education solely dedicated to freshwater issues. The School trains the next generation of freshwater professionals and advances strategic science to inform policy, improve management, and promote the health and sustainability of the Great Lakes and freshwater systems worldwide. Liz has spent her career working to engage and inspire young people through STEM and environmental science education. In 2008 she transitioned into higher education, working as the Assistant Director and STEM Specialist for UWM College for Kids before developing a formal outreach department within the School of Freshwater Sciences with her at the helm.

Halley Minser — Restoration Ecologist, Milwaukee County Parks

Halley is a restoration ecologist with Milwaukee County Parks, where she specializes in the control of invasive species, surveying plant populations, establishing native plantings, and monitoring bumble bee populations, among other activities. She particularly enjoys taking time to appreciate plant-pollinator interactions.

Halley’s work is driven by a passion for preserving native biodiversity and giving a voice to the natural world which cannot speak for itself. She understands the importance of community engagement and fostering a love of nature from a young age, believing that empowering young people with knowledge about the natural world is crucial to fostering a generation of environmentally conscious citizens.

Chris Young — Program Director, Conservation & Environmental Science, UW-Milwaukee

Chris Young has been teaching biology, environmental history, conservation, and natural history for over 25 years, starting in Minnesota, then Oregon, and now in Milwaukee at Alverno College, the Urban Ecology Center, and most recently at UW-Milwaukee. He is the director of the Conservation and Environmental Science program at UWM. His main project is to explore how people learn to become naturalists, that important space between becoming a scientist and examining our human connection to the natural world. He earned a Ph.D. in the History of Science and Technology from the University of Minnesota.

About the Congress for Conservation & Restoration

SCBNA’s North American Congress for Conservation Biology is the premier gathering of the region’s conservation community and serves as a leading forum for presenting the latest conservation research and practice to address today’s conservation challenges. This event brings together conservation professionals and students working across a wide variety of disciplines and institutions for discussion, innovation, and opportunities in science under the theme Conservation & Restoration for People & Nature.

By bringing together SCBNA and SER-MWGL Chapter, this Congress fosters interdisciplinary collaboration at a critical time for conservation and restoration science. Milwaukee’s historical and ongoing efforts to restore the Milwaukee River, revitalize green spaces, and protect its freshwater resources mirror the Congress’s mission to integrate science, practice, and community engagement. The city’s blend of ecological resilience, cultural vibrancy, and collaborative conservation initiatives underscores the importance of solutions that serve both people and nature. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage with local and global experts, share best practices, and contribute to shaping a more sustainable and equitable future for ecosystems and communities alike.

The Congress will take place from July 12-16th at the Baird Center.

Collab Lab 64: Place Based Engagement

What can happen when the focus of student work begins with a place in their community?

When a student gains deep knowledge of a place there’s a shift. It’s not just that they may come to feel they belong in that space, but that the space somehow belongs to them.  That’s my vacant lot, my spot in the woods, my corner of the school. What does it take to give students that sense of mastery? Where would you start?  Come share your ideas and experiences for a session focused on the ways we might engage students around particular places in their neighborhood, their lives, or the broader community.

As always, you’ll be joined by peers and collaborators from K-12 higher education, industry, and the nonprofit community. If you work with or know of a student (7th grade and above) who would like to join the discussion, please extend the invitation.

 

Agenda

5:30 to 6:00 pm Grab something to eat, meet some interesting, passionate people
6:00 to 6:15 pm Welcome and introductions
6:15 to 8:00 pm Let’s talk through some ideas
8:00 to 8:30 pm Wrap up and next steps

Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. There is no charge for participation but space is limited!

Featured Participants

Lauren Instenes— Project Coordinator for the MKE Roots Project, Marquette University

Lauren coordinates the MKE Roots Project through Marquette’s Center for Urban Research, Teaching and Outreach. In this role, she supports the creation of an online ecosystem which used to bring local histories of social change movements to Milwaukee K-12 classrooms. Milwaukee Roots is a place-based, inquiry-centered approach to teaching the history and civic engagement of Milwaukee’s communities—especially its communities of color, indigenous nations, and other historically marginalized communities. Through the development and implementation of contextually meaningful history and civics instruction in area classrooms, MKE Roots aims to transform how Milwaukee’s students see themselves within the civic landscape of our city: as change agents, community contributors, and citizens who matter.

Lauren has an MA in Oral History from Columbia University and her personal research centers on queer Midwest spaces and communities. Lauren is passionate about using digital media and art to share underrepresented stories. Past projects include:  Fifty Years of Pride at Why Not III, The Facing Project: Facing Intolerance, Antioch University’s The Seed Field Podcast, and Real Stories MKE. Lauren currently serves on the board of The Facing Project and is producing Out-fm’s upcoming podcast (2024).

Joseph Kaltenberg — MKE Parks Manager, City of Milwaukee – Department of Public Works

Joseph began working for the City of Milwaukee in 2015, coordinating the MKE Plays initiative, which re-established parks as a priority for local government and transformed the city’s most
underutilized parks into enriching play environments. Since then, he has secured more than $9 million in public and private funding to stabilize park operations and create a new organizational structure within DPW. This entity, re-branded externally as MKE Parks, is responsible for the sustainable management of city recreational assets.  Joseph has a B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, and a M.A. in Education Policy from Marquette University. He served in Peace Corps from 2011-2013 in rural Zambia where he worked on numerous grassroots community development projects.

Arijit Sen — Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies, UW Milwaukee

Arijit is an architect and public historian who teaches, writes, and researches urban cultural landscapes, immigrant histories, and public humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His scholarship focuses on South Asian immigrant communities, urban history, and fieldwork methods, with a particular emphasis on interpreting cities from the ground up by amplifying the voices and histories of communities often overlooked in official narratives.

Since 2012, Sen has directed the Buildings-Landscapes-Cultures Field School in Milwaukee, where university and community partners collaborate to interpret the city through storytelling, heritage preservation, and civic engagement. He sered as the founding co-director (2021-2023) of “Community Powered,” a statewide public humanities initiative by Wisconsin Humanities aimed at building resilience in Wisconsin communities. Additionally, Sen is working with the Newark-based Humanities Action Lab on Climates of Injustice, a national traveling exhibit focused on environmental justice.

His work has been published in journals such as Winterthur Portfolio, JSAH, Buildings & Landscapes, Future Anterior, South Asian History and Culture, and Food & Foodways. He also co-edited Landscapes of Mobility: Culture, Politics and Placemaking (with Jennifer Johung) and Making Place: Space and Embodiment in the City (with Lisa Silverman).

In 2022, Arijit was inducted as a fellow of the Society of Architectural Historians. He currently serves as an Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies, and co-director of the Public History program in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Previously, he was a faculty member in the Department of Architecture at UWM.

Angela Vickio — Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Angela is the superintendent of the Milwaukee State Parks Work Unit for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In her current position, she oversees Havenwoods State Forest, Lakeshore State Park and Hank Aaron State Trail. Primarily stationed out of Havenwoods, she has a background in conservation and environmental science, biophysics, and secondary science education. Prior to her current role, she was the park manager for Lakeshore State Park and Hank Aaron State Trail, and a teacher at Milwaukee High School of the Arts. She takes pride in ensuring quality recreational, community and educational offerings, along with supporting native habitat restoration and green career initiatives in Milwaukee.

2025-26 Collab Labs

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